Electric plug



5. T. SIMPSON ELECTRIC PLUG Filed Mafch 18, 1939 Oct. 8, 1940.

EEJ/L low JJQQOR Patented Oct. 8, 1940 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICIEELECTRIC PLUG Stanley T. Simpson, New York, N.

Application March 18, 1939, Serial No. 262,685

for an object to provide a plug in which the prongs exert a steadyoutward pressure against the contacts of a wall or floor outlet,whereby'to prevent loosening of the plug and poor electrical contact.

A further object is to provide a device of this character which will beformed of a few strong simple and durable parts, which will beinexpensive to manufacture, and which will not easily get out of order.

With the above and other objects in view the invention consists ofcertain novel details of construction and combinations of partshereinafter fully described and claimed, it being understood thatvarious modifications may be resorted to within the scope of theappended claims without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any ofthe advantages of the invention.

In the accompanying drawing forming part of this specification:

Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of an electric plugconstructed in accordance with the invention. a

Figure 2 is a plan view of the plug showing diagrammatically how theplug is squeezed transin Figure 4 with the resilient end open toreceivea screw driver for applying or removing the lamp cord.

Referring now to the drawing in which like characters of referencedesignate similar parts in the various views, [0 designates the body ofthe plug, the same being formed of resilient rubber and being of ovalcross section as shown in Figure 2. imbedded in the body are prongedterminals H to which circuit wires I2 are permanently attached in anypreferred manner and led out of one end of the plug opposite the prongs.The outer portions 13 of the prongs are disposed in slightly divergentrelation and the contact sides thereof are provided with small ridgteeth l4.

A spacer P5 of hard rubber is imbedded in the body between the imbeddedportions .of the prongs l I and extend transversely of the body on thelong axis 0f the oval wall of the body. The

spacer is disposed near the forward end of the body and acts as afulcrum for the prongs when their projecting portions 13 are movedtoward each other by pressure of the operators hand against oppositeends of the long axis of the oval wall of thebody between the spacer andforward end of the body, as shown in Figure 2, when the plug is to beapplied to a socket.

A modified form of the invention is shown in Figures 4 to 6 inclusive.In this form of the invention the plug body I6 is also formed ofresilient rubber and the rear end of the plug is split longi-' tudinallyas shown at IT in Figure 6, to admit a screw driver I8 for applying orremoving the lamp cord l9. Ordinarily the split is closed through themedium of a rubber band 20, best shown in Figure 4.

The prongs 2| are imbedded in. the rubber body l6 and at the rear endsproject beyond the body and are provided with hooked terminals 22 whichreceive screws 23 for attaching the wires of the lamp cord. The forwardends 24 of the prongs are arranged in slightly divergent relation andthe contact sides of the prongs are provided with small ridge teeth 25.

n A spacer 26 is imbedded in the rubber body between the imbedded endsof the prongs. The spacer is located near the forward end of the bodyand acts as a fulcrum for the prongs when their outer portions are movedinto substantially parallel relation by pressure of the operator's hand,as previously described, preparatory to applying the plug to a socket.

In operation the projecting ends of the prongs, in both forms of theinvention, exert a steady outward pressure against the contacts of awall 'or floor outlet and eliminate loosening of the plug and poorelectrical contact.

From the above description it is thought that the construction andoperation of the invention will be fully understood without furtherexplanation.

What is claimed is:

1. An electric plug comprising a resilient body of substantially ovalcross section to provide an oval wall, contact prongs projecting indivergent relation from the forward end of the body, a rigid spacerbetween the prongs and extending transversely in the body on the longaxis of the oval wall of the body, the spacer being disposed near theforward end of the body and functioning as a fulcrum for the prongs whentheir projecting portions are moved toward each other by pressure ofano'perators fingers against opposite ends of the long axis of the ovalwall of the body between the spacer and forward end of the body, saidprojecting portions of the prongs tending to move outwardly constantlyaway from each other when pressure of the operator's fingers is releasedfrom v the body and make good electrical contact when applied to asocket.

2. An electrical plug comprising a resilient body of substantially ovalcross section to provide an oval wall, contact prongs projecting fromthe forward end of the body,- means carried by the ends of the prongs atthe rear end of the body adapted to receive conductor wires, the lastnamed end of the body being slit longitudinally to permit insertion of ascrew driver for prying the slit portions away from each other to exposesaid pressure of an operators fingers against the body 1 at the ends ofthe long axis of the oval wall of the body.

STANLEY T. SIMPSON.

